After a Flash Marriage with a Professor - Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Clearing Up Past Grudges

“Unless?”

The moment she heard Professor Shen had an additional condition, Ming Shu had a bad feeling. There were too many private encounters with Professor Shen, and numerous experiences proved that the final outcome always led to that thing. Ming Shu immediately shook her head and refused.

It might be acceptable at home, but this wasn’t their house; it was Miss Yu’s house, Miss Yu’s territory. Causing trouble on someone else’s turf was always a bit inappropriate. Although Ming Shu’s courage and thick skin had slightly improved after being with Professor Shen for a while, there were some boundaries she would never cross.

Reason overcame fear. Ming Shu decided to face her fear. First, she needed to let go of Professor Shen and climb off her. Unfortunately, she was too nervous, missed her footing, and her whole body tumbled backward. Unfamiliar water pressure engulfed her. She struggled desperately and instantly swallowed several mouthfuls of water.

If Professor Shen hadn’t quickly scooped her up, she genuinely felt she would have drowned.

Shen Junlan held Ming Shu’s waist, helping her stabilize in the pool, and brushed a wet strand of hair off her forehead, saying helplessly, “Wife, I hadn’t even finished speaking, and you’re already so eager to see me as a ferocious beast. I’m a little hurt.”

Ming Shu recovered from the brief near-drowning, looked up at Professor Shen, and said, “But in private, Professor Shen can’t utter anything proper.”

Shen Junlan paused, then laughed, “It seems Wife holds a deep resentment toward me.”

Ming Shu pursed her lips and looked at her. Shen Junlan raised both hands in surrender, “Alright, Wife, you’ve seen right through me again.”

“But now, I’m not thinking about anything else. I’m just going to teach you how to swim, okay?”

Ming Shu recalled Professor Shen’s “slip of the hand” while practicing swimming postures in the room yesterday, and her eyes grew wary again. Shen Junlan took a step back, “I’ll go get a swimming ring for Wife.”

Shen Junlan started moving as she spoke, agilely climbing onto the shore. Ming Shu felt insecure standing in the water, slowly edged her way to the side, and felt better once her hand was resting on the edge.

Shen Junlan quickly found a life preserver an inflatable little dinosaur, which was very cute. She also found an inflatable pink seashell that a person could sit on and float.

She gave both to Ming Shu. After overcoming her fear, Ming Shu quickly got into the zone. She choked on water repeatedly but managed to constantly stumble back up in the water that terrified her. Sometimes Shen Junlan wanted to step in to help, but feared disrupting Ming Shu’s own learning process. In the end, she only watched quietly from the side, providing a safety guarantee for Ming Shu.

After a morning of practice, Ming Shu found a little sense of the water. She vaguely felt she was about to master the basics and was very happy.

The butler came over to invite them to lunch, saying Miss Yu and Miss Jiang were waiting for them. Ming Shu and Professor Shen left the pool together, Ming Shu looking back reluctantly.

Shen Junlan led Ming Shu to shower and change, and couldn’t help but say, “Wife has made great progress. You’re no longer afraid of the water and should learn quickly.”

Ming Shu said, “That’s because Professor Shen is by my side. I have no safety concerns and can learn boldly.”

“But Wife didn’t actually use me while learning to swim.”

“Just having Professor Shen with me gives me a lot of security.”

Shen Junlan understood. It was her presence that gave Ming Shu security, but if she were to do anything more, it would only increase Ming Shu’s insecurity.

After lunch, Yu Le asked Ming Shu how her swimming was going and if she wanted to continue practicing in the afternoon. Ming Shu said she hadn’t learned yet. As for whether to continue in the afternoon, before answering that question, she glanced at Ling Yu. Her intuition told her that Ling Yu probably wanted to go home quickly right now, so she excused herself, saying she was tired from learning and would continue next time there was a chance. Yu Le said she was welcome to visit again.

Shen Junlan smiled, “Only welcoming my wife, not me?”

“Does my welcome matter to you? My door is always open to you, and you wouldn’t stand on ceremony anyway. Besides, if Ming Shu comes, can you not come?”

“No.”

“Then there you go.” Yu Le had known Shen Junlan for so many years and they occasionally teased each other. Recently, out of envy, Yu Le’s frequency of teasing Shen Junlan had increased slightly. Shen Junlan didn’t argue with her, only saying, “Thank you for your outdoor pool, and the lunch.”

Ming Shu also thanked her. After today, Ming Shu’s perception of Miss Yu had changed significantly. Initially, she thought Miss Yu was a very easygoing and unrestrained person, but the various courtesies she received in this palace-like mansion today gave her a completely different feeling.

She deeply felt the suppression that a sense of class brought. Perhaps it was because her relationship with Miss Yu wasn’t close enough, so she couldn’t accept it openly. Ming Shu subconsciously compared it to her relationship with Professor Shen, but she found that there was no comparison at all. Love and friendship have significant differences.

What was Ling Yu thinking?

Ming Shu couldn’t tell. At Miss Yu’s house, Ling Yu spoke very little, as if her spirit was suppressed by the place. Consequently, when Miss Yu offered to drive Ling Yu home, Ling Yu refused.

Shen Junlan timely intervened, “I’ll drive Ling Yu back. It’ll also let Ling Yu spend time with my wife.”

“‘Wife, Wife,’ my ears are getting calloused hearing those words. Shen Junlan, isn’t that sickeningly sweet?” Yu Le joked with Professor Shen while shrugging. Ming Shu didn’t see any sign of dissatisfaction from being rejected on her face.

“Ming Shu is my wife. If you’re envious, go find one quickly yourself,” Shen Junlan said.

Yu Le replied, “I’ll find one, I’ll find one. Is it that hard for me to find one?”

At this point, both of them laughed inexplicably. Ming Shu also laughed along. Ming Shu also noticed a slight upward curve at the corner of Ling Yu’s mouth, who had seemed tense the whole time.

“Alright, I won’t argue with you anymore. Just get Ling Yu home safely for me,” Yu Le said.

“Don’t worry.”

On the way to drop Ling Yu off, Shen Junlan proactively suggested that Ming Shu sit in the back seat with Ling Yu. Although they sat together in the back, Ming Shu and Ling Yu didn’t say many words to each other along the way.

Ming Shu had many questions in her heart, but didn’t know how to ask them without offending Ling Yu. Ling Yu was equally distressed. She didn’t know how to express the incredibly complex emotions and feelings she had for Yu Le. She needed to sort them out herself first, so as not to articulate them poorly and unnecessarily bother Ming Shu with her worries.

After safely dropping Ling Yu off, Ming Shu and Professor Shen didn’t linger long and drove back to the villa.

For a period after this, they didn’t go swimming again. Ming Shu’s work became a little busier than before, and Professor Shen also took on more work, revising teaching plans, and it was time to apply for a new research project.

In mid-August, with just over half a month before the start of the university semester, Shen Junlan finally received news that Jiajia was willing to negotiate a settlement with the Qiao family.

Both Jiajia and Qiao Qian had been detained for a month. Jiajia’s anger had mostly subsided, but Qiao Qian’s resentment was growing daily. When Shen Junlan, as a representative, went to negotiate with Qiao Qian and Qiao Li, she also met with a brick wall. In the end, it was Shen Muhua’s involvement that allowed the matter to be resolved as quickly as possible.

The day she picked up Jiajia, Shen Junlan saw Shen Muhua again. Shen Muhua had naturally come with Qiao Li to pick up Qiao Qian. Shen Junlan ignored them, but Shen Muhua still couldn’t help but step forward, “Junlan, when will you call me Dad again?”

Shen Junlan only paused her steps for a moment before continuing forward. Jiajia followed her out into the sunlight and then asked, “Sister Junlan, why don’t you like Mr. Shen very much?”

“Old history, I don’t really want to bring it up. I came specifically to pick you up today. I’m taking you to the mall.”

Shen Junlan drove Jiajia to the mall, bought her new clothes, took her to a hotel, where she washed herself clean from head to toe, and only then brought Jiajia home in her new clothes.

“I’m sorry, Sister Junlan, I caused you trouble. Maybe you should take me back to my own home. I’m afraid of bringing bad luck over.”

“Nonsense. The bad luck has been removed according to Aunt Zhang’s instructions. You’re completely refreshed now, no bad luck. Don’t be impulsive in the future, and don’t keep dwelling on this matter.”

Jiajia didn’t hear what she said afterward, but was filled with joy after hearing the first part, “So my aunt asked Sister Junlan to do this, and Sister Junlan doesn’t look down on me for being in there?”

“Mmm.”

Back at the villa, Jiajia rushed into Aunt Zhang’s arms like a child, depending on her and calling her “Aunt.” She complained that the food inside was awful and she hadn’t slept well.

Aunt Zhang said affectionately, “I cooked a whole table of your favorite dishes. Eat more at noon, and remember not to be so impulsive in the future.”

“I know! Sister Junlan already lectured me in the car,” Jiajia said, covering her ears in mock pain. This made Aunt Zhang, who was worried, laugh.

At the table, Jiajia started eating, consuming several braised lion’s head meatballs. Suddenly, she put down her chopsticks, remembering something, “Yan Mingshu, oh, no, wait.” Jiajia covered her mouth, then continued, “Doesn’t the madam come back for lunch?”

“The madam eats at the company at noon,” Aunt Zhang replied while giving Jiajia some simple but beloved home-cooked food, “Sweet and sour pork with pineapple, fish-flavored shredded pork, and scrambled eggs with tomato. Your favorite sweet and sour flavors.”

In the evening, Jiajia volunteered to pick up Ming Shu instead of Old Liu. Old Liu asked Professor Shen for permission. Professor Shen nodded in agreement. Some knots needed to be untied. Jiajia had no malice, and she felt safe letting her go.

Ming Shu was busy until she got off work in the evening. She knew today was the day Jiajia was released and had planned to buy a small cake as a “new beginning” gift for her since the morning.

Leaving the company, Ming Shu found the familiar car, opened the door, sat in the back seat, and habitually called out to Old Liu, “Old Liu, please drive to the nearby dessert bakery first. I want to buy a cake for Jiajia.”

Ming Shu nervously stared at her phone. She saw that the small cake she wanted had only one left, quickly paid and placed the order online, and then sighed in relief.

She waited for a few seconds with no response from Old Liu, and the car didn’t start. Ming Shu felt strange, looked up, and met Jiajia’s eyes.

“You’re going to buy me a cake?” Jiajia was biting a lollipop. When she spoke, the lollipop shifted to her right cheek, making it bulge.

Ming Shu paused for a moment before accepting that the driver picking her up today had become Jiajia.

“…Mmm, do you like… sweets?” Ming Shu asked awkwardly.

“I like them.” Jiajia pointed to the lollipop in her mouth, “It would be even better if they are sweet and sour.”

Ming Shu said, “There’s also a strawberry xuemeiniang (mochi dessert).” Ming Shu checked the details page to confirm. The flavor was listed as sweet and sour.

Jiajia nodded, fumbled around beside her, and handed Ming Shu a lollipop, “Orange flavor.”

Ming Shu took it, “Thank you.”

Jiajia turned back to drive. With no further conversation, she drove the car to the dessert bakery. Ming Shu asked Jiajia to stay in the car and got out to pick up the order. Jiajia didn’t move, but after waiting for a while, Ming Shu didn’t come out. Jiajia couldn’t sit still anymore, got out of the car, and also went into the dessert bakery.

Inside the store, a crowd was densely packed. Eight people were together—familiar black-clad bodyguards. Seven black-suited bodyguards surrounded Qiao Qian, who was wearing a black dress and bright red lipstick.

At this scene, it was clear without much thought that Qiao Qian was looking for trouble with Yan Mingshu.

Jiajia didn’t hesitate, and with her slender figure, she skillfully squeezed through the crowd.

“What a coincidence, Miss Qianqian,” Jiajia said with a smile, though her tone was full of sarcasm.

Qiao Qian was enraged when she saw the person who had caused her to be detained for a month and glared at her with clenched teeth.

Jiajia ignored the gaze that wished to tear her apart, walked to Ming Shu, and asked, “They didn’t do anything to you, did they?”

“No,” Ming Shu shook her head, hugging the packaged cake and xuemeiniang in her arms. “Qiao Qian liked this cake and wanted me to give it up, but I refused.”

Jiajia’s eyes lit up, and she looked at Ming Shu with more appreciation, “We are friends now.”

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